ACSA’s annual conference for professionals in special education and student services is an opportunity to explore strategies that strengthen learning today while building meaningful pathways to future success for every student.

Ginese Quann, chair of the ECC Planning Committee and assistant superintendent with El Dorado COE, reflected on this year’s theme, “Navigating the Present, Bridging the Future,” acknowledging the constantly changing nature of this work.

“That requires adaptability rather than certainty,” she said. “We must lead through the uncertainty while keeping sight of long-term goals that will shape future access, outcomes and opportunities for the students that we serve.”

Attendees chose from more than 80 sessions over two and a half days, with topics ranging from mental health program funding and special education law, to AI-assisted IEPs and positive discipline strategies.

Laura Fisher, assistant superintendent, Desert Sands USD, has been coming to the conference since 1999, her first year as a special education director. Back then, the focus was solely special education. “It was great networking — you met a lot of people who you continued to grow with professionally,” she said.

Over the years, she has watched the conference grow in size and scope, as student support services were added. Fisher said she likes to bring key members of her team to the conference — this year, she brought a group of 14 educators from Desert Sands USD.

“It’s one of the best conferences that you can bring staff to,” she said. “Even though I’ve been doing it a long time, you continue to learn new things.”

Attendee Barby Castro, executive consultant with South County SELPA, also presented at the conference on “Navigating AI to Ensure Future Success For ALL Students.”

“[Special education] has always been my passion. It’s a conference that is really tied to the special education work, and we don’t get a lot of those conferences,” she said. “This really helps us to fill our cups and bring back that excitement.”

Here are a few moments captured at this year’s Every Child Counts Symposium.

“After Netflix, I realized people were listening.” The conference began with keynote presenter Kaelynn Partlow, a autism advocate who was diagnosed at age 10 and is now a registered behavior technician with Project HOPE. She also appeared on the Netflix series “Love on the Spectrum.” Following the explosion of her social media after the show, Partlow felt she had a responsibility to share her perspective “on the bridge” between the world of autistic people and the professionals who work with them. During her presentation, she shared analogies for how autistic brains process the world and strategies for direct communication, smooth transitions, and preventing meltdowns. “Autistic people aren’t giving you a hard time — we’re having a hard time,” Partlow said in one of the video shorts she played during her keynote.

“I bring the doom.” In the session “What Now? Sustaining SEL & Mental Health Supports Amid Federal Funding Cuts,” Anisha Asher with F3 Law reviewed federal funding sources to support student mental health and social-emotional learning that, unfortunately, are expiring or not likely to be renewed. The session presented creative ways to continue social-emotional instruction using other funding sources and strategic tools to maintain and grow essential services despite fiscal constraints.

“Try explaining this to somebody who is not in education ... and see if they can get it.” In the session “Disproportionality Demystified,” Dr. Brian Landisi explained the complex formula the CDE uses to determine if a district has significant disproportionality of students identified for special education. Landisi and Lena Kortoshian, both from Glendale USD, told the story of how they looked at their data, “kid by kid,” and became more culturally responsive in their case review to reduce the over-identification of African-American students for special education.

“Imagine starting [an IEP] meeting like that.” Dr. Hinda Nadif, program administrator with the High Quality IEPs Project, shared examples of grounding activities that can start an IEP meeting on a positive note. One is an appreciation round, where each team member shares something they appreciate about another team member or the student’s progress. Nadif walked attendees through free resources from High Quality IEPs that can be used at each step of the journey — before, during and after an IEP meeting. “We have tools to help you,” she said.

“The school refusal cycle escalates quickly.” In the session “Not Just Skipping School,” Susan Roberts with Next Level Client Services at F3 Law explains the cycle of school avoidance and relief that makes it harder and harder for students to return to school. Along with co-presenters Kristen McNeely, a behavior specialist with Oak Park USD, and Wes Parsons, partner with F3 Law, Roberts explained intervention strategies and the importance of working with families. “When the parent and the school are not working together, our chances of success are really low. School refusal is one of those challenges that happens at home and at school.

“They are dealing so much with Tier II and Tier III that a lot of them have forgotten about Tier I.” In the session “Building SEL Teacher Buy-In,” Natalie Hamilton, director, Mental Health and Wellness, Irvine Unified School District, shares feedback received from teachers who find it hard to deliver SEL instruction to all students, even though they know how beneficial it is. Hamilton shared strategies for helping teachers overcome barriers — mainly time and prep — to build Tier I SEL into their day.
“In the 80s, I was diagnosed with being a weirdo and a crybaby.” Keynote presenter Penn Holderness shared his ADHD journey — from childhood, when his behaviors were misunderstood, to an official diagnosis of ADHD in college, to his current life as a content creator for the popular YouTube channel The Holderness Family. Through stories from their personal lives, Penn and wife Kim Holderness explained why ADHD can be daunting, why it can cause shame — but also why it can be awesome. Kim Holderness reminded educational professionals in the room of the important role they have. “You can be the first person who looks into a kid’s eyes and says, ‘Hey, this is not a character flaw. This is a brain difference.’ And you can put in supports that can change a kid’s life,” she said.
“Would you ever take Play-doh out of the cylinder and hand it to somebody and say, ‘Look at what I made?’” In his session, “AI: From Shiny Object to Differentiation Engine,” Edapt CEO Christian Jackson used this analogy to explain why humans need to refine AI output. He explained his framework for using AI and why we, as humans, have to provide context to improve the output. He walked educators through how they can use products like Google Gemini to create lesson plans and handouts that are differentiated to student interests, like the NFL or “Wicked.”
“I need to get you guys to stop overthinking and stop trying to be right.” In his closing keynote, AALRR Partner Jack B. Clarke, Jr., explained the history of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act as a civil rights statue, not an educational support. He reminded educators going into an administrative law hearing that they should be protecting the rights of the child. “Don’t go to hearing to vindicate yourself. Go to hearing to protect the child with disabilities,” he said. “That should be your only motive.”